“Seeing death as the end of life is like seeing the horizon as the end of the ocean.”
― David Searls

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Dark Energy

I find myself in a position of extreme water deprivation. Quite mysteriously, all our city's water has disappeared, leaving behind a barren wasteland of dehydration and frantic citizens. Luckily for me, I still possessed a small quantity of water bottles from the previous power outage...but not enough. This building truly is a hot spot for disaster, which was not included in the brochure I picked up before I moved in.

The moment I stepped outside, I felt as though I stepped into a Godzilla movie scene where everyone starts frantically running like chickens without heads... no doubt because of our current position. I decided to avoid back flow and possible collisions with other people resulting in injures by taking a side street passed St. Cecelia's Cathedral. As I walked down 114th Ave, I caught eye of the cemetery. I was so strangely drawn to it, almost as if it was my invisible magnetic field. Just as I was about to walk up to the old iron gate, I noticed a girl sitting on the lawn of the Cathedral, reading.

She seemed extremely content, which let me know we already had a similarity...neither of us mind being alone. I decided to take a chance and walk over, hoping to spark a conversation. I could feel the grass squish under my feet and my socks became damp, which bothered me. I got close enough to see the cover of her book "The Meaning of Stones, Stars, and Spells".

"Interesting title" I said. She must not have heard me coming because she jumped when I came up. Do you like fiction? I asked. With a shy voice she replied: "I find it extremely informative. I don't believe in witchcraft. I like collecting stones...they've got a certain draw you know?". She must have noticed the turquoise around my neck because I could see her eyes light up with curiosity. "You know...it's all about the energy" she said. I thought for a while, wondering how I could interact with her seemingly eccentric mind.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

It's 5 o'clock somewhere

It was a cold and uncomfortable morning in more than one way. I awoke to a startling sound of a women, shouting orders to those similar of a drill sergeant. As I glanced at my clock, I could not help but shrug because the sun was just now beginning to rise... a sign it was far too early for me to be awake. Not to mention I had been previously disturbed by a similar occurrence around 5 am.

I decided to ignore it and move on with my morning. I closed the window which originally contributed to my insomnia, feeling the cold breeze brush past me. Suddenly, I heard a sharp knocking at the door, which startled me so much I let the grip of my window panel go and it came crashing down...leaving behind a powerful bang. Great! Now whoever is at the door knows I'm here.

"Hello?" a delicate voice echoed from beyond the wooden door. As I glared through the peep hole, I saw a women with golden hair tied back in a bun, wearing glasses and a beautiful pearl necklace, setting me up for the impression she must be a stranger to this building. "I'm Maggie Walsh from Southern Living and I'd love to ask a few questions!". Slowly, I opened my door...allowing the creaking to fill the silence. Followed behind her was a group of reporters...surely coming to disrupt my peace of mind.

As I sat on my sofa surrounded by flashing lights, cameras, microphones and strangers looking at me as though I was an exhibit at a museum, I couldn't help but begin to sweat and excessively shake. Maggie must have noticed because she began asking me questions.

"Do you have an at home feel when you come to the Victorian Ms. Mikealson?". I wondered how she knew my name. "I suppose...after all, I do live here" I said. She giggled and jotted down notes...surely more than I just told her. My eyes wondered and I noticed a crew member taking pictures of my room. Suddenly, his eyes darted to my turquoise necklace. As he began to reach for it... I quickly darted from my seat, nearly knocking the coffee table over.

"Please don't touch that" I yelled. I grabbed it off my white bed side stand and swiftly placed in my t-shirt pocket. I could see the interest spark in the reporters eyes and I knew then that I just got myself in a bad situation for curiosity.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

And Then There Were Two

It was a beautifully serene afternoon. The sky was a vibrant orange/pink color with a hint of seductive grey, producing steady winds that occasionally sent chills up my body. As I mindfully walked down Eerie Street, past the forest, I couldn't help but gaze at its ominous beauty... so mystifying I surely believe that's how the street obtained its name. I checked my clock. It was about to turn 7:30, when the sun laid to rest and the nighttime opened up its eccentric beauty to our eyes.

Suddenly, as I approached my apartment building, The Victorian, a sudden and quite startling snap came from the electricity generator outside the building. Astonished, I ran inside to see the commotion of the situation. Standing with a flashlight, our concierge Ms. Davis was frantically jolting around the building searching for the router. I could see other guests hectically dialing for friends to offer up a place to stay the night, and others dashing for water bottles and mini fans to keep from heat deprivation. However alarmed I was, I maintained my sensibility and continued to my room without a fuss, grabbing a water bottle and flashlight.

Surprisingly, the elevator seemed to be in tact, therefore I pressed the elevator button and watched as is illuminated itself to a bright red color, signaling the up arrow. A few moments later, the chime sounded and I stepped inside the white marbled floor and pressed my floor number, 602. Suddenly I heard a large crashing sound and my entire confined space was engulfed in darkness.

Extremely nerve wrecked, I forcefully pushed the "help' button located below me however the entire system was crashed and I was in no luck. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath when suddenly I heard a faint whisper of my name. "Colette" it said. "Please help me". Confused, I looked below me in the small crack separating the floor from the elevator, but I saw nothing. Again the noise returned, slowly amplifying its volume. "Colette! We need you!" My heart was beating expeditiously, and before I could grasp my agitation, a cold, seemingly lifeless hand grabbed my shoulder from behind with a swift squeeze. My body turned abnormally cold and the color disintegrated from my body. Uncontrollably, I screamed as loud as my lungs would allow and I could feel the thousands of goosebumps arising on my body... no one could hear me.

The figure vanished, leaving me dazed and highly confused. I crouched in the corner of the elevator, pressed my back up against the cold wooden wall and recognized that I was once again alone.